Thursday, 25 February 2021 12:55

NZ's backbone

Written by  Peter Burke
Manawatu District Mayor Helen Worboys says the CD field days is designed to showcase the backbone of the NZ economy. Manawatu District Mayor Helen Worboys says the CD field days is designed to showcase the backbone of the NZ economy.

The Central Districts field days is designed to showcase what the Manawatu region is all about – the backbone of the NZ economy.

That’s the view of the Manawatu District Mayor Helen Warboys who says the event is logically based in the town of Feilding because this has become a significant agricultural hub.

“Something I’ve been working on creating for many years,” she told Rural News.

Warboys says the region is all about food production and is also supported by having significant military bases in the region as well.

“In my previous role as the manager of Feilding Promotions, the goal was for the town to become the agribusiness centre for NZ,” she explains. “We did a lot of work in previous years to attract agribusinesses to the town, which in the 1990s was well known as rural servicing town where mums and dads came on Friday for the sheep and cattle sale and did the shopping.”

But Mayor Warboys says, over time, they started to attract companies like Rabobank and FMG and other businesses that support agriculture.  She says they have been very successful at that over the past 25 years and have achieved their goal of being a very significant rural hub.

She adds that a number of agri science and food science organisations are also in the region – including Food HQ at Massey University.

“There are a number of initiatives that we are involved in regionally that are all about food production and how we add value to it,” Warboys explains. “As well the hub, the Manawatu district is a highly productive grass roots farming region, which we are very proud of.”

She says they are still working on growing the hub and she sees the new Manawatu/Taraua highway, that will replace the now abandoned Manawatu Gorge Road, as ensuring that district is well connect from all points of the compass.

However, it’s the Central Districts field days that help showcase the growth and importance of the Manawatu District.

“Farmers come from all over NZ for the CD field days and some who say they prefer it because they are not as big as the national event in Hamilton,” Warboys says. “They say it has got too big and it’s hard to find your way around the Mystery Creek site and that sort of stuff.”

Warboys says exhibitors for the field days come from all around NZ and before the days of Covid, some came from overseas.

She believes the CD field days does a lot to build relationships between the urban and rural communities and many of those who go to the event are from towns but are keen to see and admire the innovation that is driving efficiency in the rural sector.

More like this

Manawatu's economy bouncing back

Although the national economy is still functioning below pre-pandemic levels and the road ahead remains uncertain, the Manawatu region appears to be bearing up well.

Central region aiming to be the Agrihub of NZ

Manawatu District Council Mayor, Helen Worboys says the district is very proud to host the Central Districts Field Days because the region sees itself as the agritech hub of NZ.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

A different shade of blue for Norwood

Norwood and ARGO Tractors, the Italian manufacturer of Landini and McCormick tractors, have announced an agreement that gives Norwood exclusive…

Kubota tests diesel engines

Kubota last month used the UK LAMMA Show to test the water with its new 200hp, four-cylinder 09-series diesel engines.

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter